Punch Bag, red and black, serves it up to Who's Cross, blinkers© Photo Healy Racing
Punch Bag justified 7/2 favouritism in the two mile handicap hurdle at Limerick, but only after a battle with Who's Cross
Brendan Duke's charge took advantage of Who's Cross being less than fluent at the last hurdle. Andrew Lynch galvanised the four-year-old on the run-in to get up and foil Who's Cross (14/1) by a neck.
He had raced in fifth at the halfway stage before making headway to second entering the home straight.
"I'm really happy with him. He's very progressive," said Brendan Duke.
"He was going to be thereabouts last time at Clonmel but got completely stopped at a vital point in the race.
"He showed a lot of courage to then come between horses and ran all the way to the line.
"I think a lot of him and think there is more to come. I'm very happy with that and thought it was a very good performance for a four-year-old. The main thing about him is that he's lucky in life.
"It's Peter (Slezak) and Martin's (Hayes) first horse. They actually came to Ireland to buy a greyhound puppy but I told them that would be over in 30 seconds and they would have more fun with a horse."
The winner had been as big as 6/1 this morning. Bashful Beauty and Gusty Rock were also horses for money in this contest, however, the former finished eighth while the latter was fifth. Just Call Me at 6/1 took third. He was two and a half lengths off the battle for first place. Danequest made good headway from rear and finished his race out well to be fourth.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
